This invention relates to a composition for treating hair and especially for setting curls in hair. More particularly, the invention relates to the combination of carboxyfunctional silicone and cationic organic polymer components in hair care formulations to provide long-lasting and more durable hair styles.
Many popular hair styles require a means to hold the hair in a desired configuration. Several procedures are commonly used for setting hair styles at home and in beauty salons including, for example, the winding of wetted hair around curlers or rods followed by drying; the winding of moist hair around a hot curling iron; and the blow drying of wet hair while rolling the hair around a hand held brush. It is generally recognized that the physical and chemical action of water plays a significant role in the process of setting hair. When hair is wetted, hydrogen bonds in the keratin of hair are broken. Then when hair is shaped using curlers, irons, or brush and dried, hydrogen bonds are reformed at locations different from the previous ones and the hair style is thus set.
When hair is set by the use of water alone, the hair style gradually loses its shape through the absorption of atmospheric moisture and consequent rearrangement of the hydrogen bonds. A considerable number of hair-setting compositions have been suggested to facilitate the setting of hair styles and especially to extend the time period that the set is retained in the hair. Such compositions range from the permanent wave types which operate chemically by breaking and reforming disulfide linkages in the hair protein to preparations which leave a thin layer of film-forming resin on the hair which when dried tends to mechanically maintain the hair in the shape of the dried resin film. Generally, the film-forming resin preparations have been composed of water or alcohol solutions of anionic polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinylpyrrolidone-vinylacetate copolymers, polymethacrylate resins, ethyl and butyl monoesters of polymethylvinyl ether and maleic acid, or carboxylated polyvinylacetate copolymers.
While the film-forming resin preparations do improve the length of set retention in hair, it has generally been found that the stiff resin film tends to make the hair objectionably sticky and to produce flaky or linty particles on the hair as the film breaks up during combing or brushing. Moreover, because of the hydrophilic nature of the resins, they are removed from the hair with each shampooing and must be continually reapplied to be effective. The sticky and stiff character of the resin films also makes the coated hair difficult to comb or brush and may result in damaging or breaking hairs during such operations.
On the other hand, organic cationic compounds and polymers such as stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, quaternary nitrogen derivatives of cellulose ethers, and homopolymers and copolymers of dimethyldiallylammonium chloride are well known for use in hair conditioning formulations. Hair conditioners facilitate combing out hair and impart softness and suppleness to the hair. Cationic polymers are further known in the art for their substantivity which enables them to become fixed to hair and to remain on hair. However, in comparison to the anionic polymers, conventional cationics generally show little effect in facilitating the setting of hair styles or providing retention of hair sets over extended periods.
Accordingly, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide improved hair care compositions that are substantive and fixed to hair; facilitate the setting of hair styles; increase the durability of a set in hair; do not make hair feel unnaturally sticky or stiff; and provide flexible hold for hair so that it can be combed after setting without producing objectionable flaky or linty particles.
Starch in European Pat. application No. 95,238 A, teaches that an aqueous emulsion of aminoalkyl substituted polydimethylsiloxane is useful to condition hair because it facilitates combing and imparts a smooth feel to hair. Starch further teaches that polydimethylsiloxanes substituted with other functional groups such as carboxy, thioalkylcarboxy, and quaternary nitrogen would also be useful in the aqueous emulsion to condition hair. This patent application does not teach or suggest using the substituted siloxanes in setting hair or to increase the length of time a set is retained in hair.
Cornwall et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,518 filing date Aug. 6, 1984 which is assigned to the same assignee as the present application, teach a method of setting hair using a composition containing aminoalkyl substituted polydimethylsiloxane. The presence of the siloxane on the hair is reported to provide both conditioning and set holding. Cornwall et al. further show a hair-setting composition containing a combination of aminoalkyl substituted polydimethylsiloxane and cationic organic resin described as a quaternary nitrogen derivative of cellulose ether.
Grollier et al. in UK Pat. application Nos. 2,123,694 A and 2,114,580 A describe hair-setting compositions containing combinations of cationic polymer and anionic polymer or latex. An aminoalkyl substituted polysiloxane is listed among the many cationic polymers mentioned as useful in the hair-setting compositions.
Gee in U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,619 describes aqueous emulsions of carbonyl-containing silicone fluids and teaches their general utility in textile treatment processes.